Section 28: Regulations relating to the Commission, to registration and to registers
97.Subsection (1)(a) gives Scottish Ministers the power to make regulations conferring additional functions on the Commission. Providing for Scottish Ministers to give the Commission further functions through regulations will give it the necessary flexibility to react to future needs of service users and developments in care service provision without the need for primary legislation.
98.Subsection (1)(b) provides for Scottish Ministers to make regulations about how the Commission should maintain registers. Subsection (1)(c) allows regulations to be made about the information that should be provided in an application under Part 1 and Part 2 and what certificates of registration should include, for example the conditions of registration of a care service. Subsection (1)(c)(iii) provides for regulations specifying types of applicants who cannot make certain kinds of applications.
99.Subsections (1)(d) and (e) allow regulations to be made that define the circumstances and conditions, including the payment of a fee, under which the Commission should provide access to its registers. Subsection (2) allows for regulations to be made setting out when fees should not be payable and provides that the Commission can give access free of charge. These regulations would be, for example, to prevent unrestricted access to the names and addresses of services, such as children’s services, where there might be a consequent risk to children. The regulations could contain a requirement for someone to show they had a legitimate interest before they could be granted access to certain registers.
